Following European Commission assessment, Ukraine expects membership talks to start in June

Ukraine has responded to the European Commission's positive verbal assessment regarding the progress of European integration reforms required for EU accession negotiations to begin.

The European Commission's conclusion states that Ukraine is continuing its systematic efforts to join the EU and has completed all four additional reform steps, Shmyhal said.

"Now we expect our European partners to take the next step – to start EU membership negotiations this month," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal commented on the European Commission's decision on Telegram.

He added that the Ukrainian people are fighting every day for the right to be part of the European family in the war against the Russian aggressor.

On 7 June, the European Commission confirmed that it has given a positive verbal assessment of the progress of European integration reforms in Ukraine and Moldova, as set out in the November report on EU enlargement.

However, according to media reports, the Permanent Representatives of the EU member states have again failed to make a decision on the European Commission's recommendation to start accession negotiations with Ukraine, as Hungary had raised objections.

Another senior diplomat said that Hungary "came out with the same rant as last time about Ukraine’s lack of progress on national minorities".

The German government recently announced that Ukraine has met the requirements for the reforms necessary to start EU membership negotiations.

Read more: Kyiv will take the Albanian path to EU membership: details of Ukraine's negotiating framework emerge